Scared of Santa photo gallery

Scared of Santa photo gallery

Happy holidays.

Dunk Mug

Link For the person who has everything.

Shortage of School Psychologists

Article that discusses shortage of school psychologists in rural Ohio. In my own practice, I get a number of referrals from parents for psychoeducational assessment of suspected learning disorders or intellecutal deficits (many from the areas of Ohio referenced in this article). While by law schools are obligated to perform such testing when a parent requests it, the reality is that such a request often means a waiting list of 3, 6, or 9 months. One of our local school districts contracts with a psychologist who only comes and does such evaluations when the school has ten such evaluations to do. One of my referrals last week was only the 4th and was told it may be six months before they have ten, so the child has to wait for documentation of suspected learning/intellectual delays. Some of my co-psychologists decline such referrals as "it is the school's responsibility to test the children under the law". I agree, but if a child is struggling and is only going to fall further behind until he deficits/delays are documented, I will on occasion conduct psychoeducational evaluations at the parent's request even though it is techinically the school's responsibility.

AtomFilms: Instant Entertainment

AtomFilms the home of short films. A ton of categories with something for about every tasts. My kids liked the Spider Man vs. Doc Ock movie done with Legos.

Humor from Sports Commentators

Link to comments that sports commentators may or may not have actually said. Warning, some are possibly in poor taste.

Eyetrack III - How People Read Webpages

Site that describes research on how people look at web pages by tracking their eye movements. Fascinating. Should be of great interest to web page designers and advertisers.

Superman as Christ-Figure

Here is an interesiting article from Journal of Religion and Film about Superman as Christ-Figure. This is all the more intriguing as there are rumors that the actor who played Jesus in the Passion of Christ may be the next Superman.

The Art of Medicine

The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.
-Voltaire

Stamps Of Approval

Look who and what is on make your own stamps.

Neuroscience of Revenge

Who says revenge isn't sweet. Link here.

Photoshop Contests

Here is a site with multiple Photoshop Contests. Photoshop is a software program for manipulating/editing images. Warning: Some images are rather disturbing.

Why do singers, actors, and celebrities think we care who they support for president?

ALICE COOPER has told the Canadian Press that all the rock stars campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry are guilty of one thing: treason. The shock-rock legend, a staunch Republican who attends NBA games in Phoenix with Arizona Senator John McCain, was disgusted when he learned of plans by Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, R.E.M. and other bands to hold a series of concerts aimed at unseating U.S. President George W. Bush.

"To me, that's treason. I call it treason against rock 'n' roll because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics," says the 56-year-old Cooper, who begins a 15-city Canadian tour on Aug. 20 in Thunder Bay, Ont.

"When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I'd run to my room and put on the ROLLING STONES as loud as I could. So when I see all these rock stars up there talking politics, it makes me sick.

"If you're listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you're a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we're morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal."

Despite his strong insistence that rock has no place in politics, Cooper is one of just a handful of high-profile musicians who've proclaimed support for Bush.

from Blabbermouth.net

Purple is the new red.

Apparently, too many kids have complained that all the red marks on their homework has harmed them emotionally. So now we have purple to soften the blows of correction. Article link here.

ACT News

Local nonprofit to serve as statewide resource for mental illness - 2004-08-18 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Much of my administrative duties at work over the past year involved overseeing a planning grant from the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati designed to explore the feasibility of incorporating Assertive Community Treatment services into our existing array of services. Nice to see the Foundation obtaining this important task.

Dungeons & Dragons turns 30.

Dungeons and Dragons is now 30 years old. Here is an article describing how it all started. While I haven't seen a D&D book or die for several years now, I remember playing D&D quite a bit in Junior High. It was never considered "cool" and I remember a lot of talk at the time that it was "of the devil". Nevertheless, it was in my opinion a truly imaginative game and allowed us teenage boys to express our creativity and learn about topics we would have otherwise never approached.

Behold, the Leader of the Free World, George Bush

"I'm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Saddam Hussein." —Washington, D.C., May 25, 2004

"Security is the essential roadblock to achieving the road map to peace."—Washington, D.C., July 25, 2003

"I glance at the headlines just to kind of get a flavor for what's moving. I rarely read the stories, and get briefed by people who are probably read the news themselves."—Washington, D.C., Sept. 21, 2003

"There may be some tough times here in America. But this country has gone through tough times before, and we're going to do it again."

"I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here."

Explainer: Your questions answered.

MSN Slate Magazine

I find this Slate feature to be quite informative.

Pills, Talk Help Adolescent Depression

More research supporting combined approach of medication and therapy to treat depression.

Come on in, the water's fine. Zachary (4) and Nicholas (2) (August 04). 

Synchronized Sports?

I've really been trying, but I just don't get the whole synchronized sports thing. Everytime I've sat down over the last couple of days in an attempt to catch some of the Olympics, this odd "sport" of synchronized diving has been on. I'm not saying that this "sport" doesn't take incredible skill or training, but we have apparently reached our creative limits in developing new sports when the best that can be generated is synchronized diving. Heck, there is a whole realm of untapped sports if we can simply create a new sport by synchronizing it. I submit for the IOC's approval the following new sports to be included for the next Olympiad: synchronized ice dancing, synchronized vaulting, and the next sure to be sensation, synchronized ski jumping.

PhotoStamps: Home

PhotoStamps: Home

This is very, very clever. Who wouldn't want to put their own images on stamps.

Top 50 Fast Food Chains

Amazing link showing top 50 fast food chains.

Cryptome

Cryptome

Interesting site that is an online repository for publicly available information, some of which is quite scary to realize that anyone who intended to do the United States harm could easily access this information. Another instance in which freedoms are in tension with the need for safety and protection.

Depression Traced to Overactive Brain Area

PsycPORT.com | Depression Traced to Overactive Brain Area

Read the brief report here.

Name that tune in MLB

Page 3 - Name that tune in MLB ...

Now this is the type of thing for which investigative journalism was invented. Ever wanted to know what theme song each major league batter has played as he walks to the plate. Here you go.

If I were rich, I'd would have to get one of these. Rings in at $1,100.  

I miss typos sometimes, but I think I'd catch this one. Now I got to check and see if "shit" is in my spellchecker program.  

The Sultan Brought Cheesecake

The Sultan Brought Cheesecake - August 4, 2004

The real reasons behind political ambition.

FDA Approves New Antidepressant Drug Cymbalta

PsycPORT.com | FDA Approves New Antidepressant Drug

I wonder if the drug companies have in-house contests to come up with names for new drugs; if Cymbalta was the winner, what were the losing submissions?

Spinsanity

Check out Spinsanity for a different take on a "no spin zone".

Tigger Found Not Guilty Of Molesting Girl

local6.com - News - 'Tigger' Found Not Guilty Of Molesting Girl

I can't believe the attorney actually tried on the suit during the trial. The drama in the court room must have been as intense as when OJ tried on the gloves and they wouldn't fit.

Factiva Media Visibiltiy Index

The Factiva Media Visibility Index measures the number of media mentions in top US publications as an indicator of visibility or popularity. It is in my opinion a rather condemning statement on our society and/or media that Teresa Heinz Kerry's "shove it" remark to a reporter garnered more mentions than anything else said at the Democratic National Convention. On the other hand, it may also say something about the relative irrelevance of political nominating conventions.

This is wrong, just plain wrong. Aren't there laws about this kind of thing. 

Internet Addiction Excuses Conscripts from Military Service

Interesting take on effects of addiction. May be a new way to qualify for disability benefits.
Here is link.

Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions

Arch Gen Psychiatry -- Abstract: Prevalence and Co-occurrence of Substance Use Disorders and Independent Mood and Anxiety Disorders: Results From the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, August 2004, Grant et al. 61 (

This study is the first national epidemiologic survey to use the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) definitions of independent mood and anxiety disorders to examine the co-occurrence, of mental health disorders.

Prevalence of Personality Disorders in the United States

Landmark Survey Reports on the Prevalence of Personality Disorders in the United States, August 2, 2004 Press Release - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Would be interesting to know what percentage also have comorbid Axis I disorder.

Influenza and Schizophrenia

Health News Article | Reuters.com

Have always found the possible links between the flu and schizophrenia both fascinating and disturbing. Here is some recent research again supporting this link.

Links to Ethics Codes Information

Links to Ethics Codes Information

Ever find yourself in a situation where you are not sure if you can reach across the table and shake some sense into a client; well here is a one stop source for all your ethical needs.

Putt's Law

Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand.

Putt's Law

This seems about right to me.

Computer Case Mods

Crazy Case Mod Contest: Meet the Contenders

I want one of these. I particularly like the Wallcrawler.

Stats on Comorbid SA and SMI Disorders

Serious Mental Illness and Its Co-Occurrence with Substance Use Disorders, 2002

Wealth of information here on co-occurring SA and MH disorders.

Ah, the wonder of activated charcoal.

eMedicine Health - Activated Charcoal, Description

If you have never had the opportunity to witness activated charcoal in action, you don't know what you are missing. I'm just rounding in from a on-call trip to the ER for a drug overdose. This stuff may be better than combo doses of Haldol and Ativan. It took a rather large, combative patient from requiring the presence of police officers to a projectile-vommiting shell of a person within minutes. This emedicine article explains how activated charcoal does its work.

The new and improved Sallie McNeil.

Yahoo! News - New Pill May Help Recovering Alcoholics Stay Sober

Did Sallie somehow know this drug was coming and get out before the SA program is disbanded?

Derek's Big Archive of WalMart Purchase Receipts

Derek's Big Archive of WalMart Purchase Receipts

Derek has a problem. If only we could harness his creativity for good.

Psychology of Cyberspace

Al Gore's invention has placed us beyond the pale in our understanding of business, entertainment, information exchange, and even interpersonal interaction. Previous models of knowledge in each of these areas have been found to be inadequate with respect to the internet. As a psychologist, I take particular interest in what for lack of a better term can be called the "Psychology of Cyberspace".

I believe that near instantaneous access to information (especailly as broadband service becomes more widely available) is the most significant change the internet has made to society and culture. What used to take a trip to the library, bookstore, or consultation with an expert can now be accessed online (and the information is up to date, not limited by whenever the book was published or by the expert's limitations). Let's take a the area of sports. As a kid, if the Reds played on the West Coast and you couldn't stay up late to see/hear the game, you would have to wait two days for the score to show up in the paper, as it wouldn't even make the next day's paper due to missing the submission deadline for the paper. Now, I can see/hear the game in real time over the internet with statisitics updated pitch by pitch.

In the past, holders of information have held significant power over those needing or requiring that information. To some degree, the balance of power has tilted to everyman (or at least everyman who has a computer and internet access). Keep in mind that it is still primarily white, affluent, males who spend the most time roaming the waves of the internet. In the past month I have done the following things via access to the internet: kept in touch with family/friends hundreds of miles away; made hotel reservations for a trip to Florida; bought multiple items including several hard to find items I could not have found within 100 miles of my home; shared photos of children with others who would otherwise never get to see them; researched multiple projects for work; applied for a loan repayment program; tracked my 401K; checked the weather forecast; keep up with the news; and find others who share some of the esoteric interests that I have. Just ten years ago I would have needed to visit a travel agent, a stockbroker, the post office, the library, and government office to complete all of these tasks. While this is empowering at the individual level, what costs are associated with this instantaneous access to information?

Is the information reliable and valid?
If not, is anyone liable when others rely upon that information to their detriment?
How does intstantaneous access to information on the world wide web affect our expectations for access in other spheres of our lives?
How do we assure (or should we even be concerned about) equitable access to this information for all?
Who is in control of the information?
Should you have to pay for access to the information?
Can you get sued for information you share (or don't share) on the internet? For example, there was a recent suicide attempt in an online chatroom and several people encouraged the young man to kill himself. Are they liable?

Psychotherapy Boosts Medication Compliance?

Health News Article | Reuters.com

What's going on here? Are patients improving because psychotherapy increases medication compliance or does psychotherapy also affect brain chemistry like medications? Below is a link to an article by Mark Moran highlighting research that seems to argue that medication and psychotherapy act synergistically to change brain chemistry.

Fear of Hell = Prosperity?

The Regional Economist

Not sure what to make of this article, but it is a rather unique take on economic theory. Our tax dollars at work.

Firefox - The Browser, Reloaded

Firefox - The Browser, Reloaded

If you are frustrated by the seemingly never-ending security holes in Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser, you may want to check out Mozilla' Firefox web browser. I've tried Firefox at several points in its development and the latest version appears to be very stable and offers some unique features such as tabbed browsing.

Oxycodone-related ER visits up.

oxycodone: oxycodone, hydrocodone, and polydrug use, 2002; SAMHSA,Office of Applied Studies

Here is an interesting article that provides vivid evidence for the increase in Rx drug abuse and its effects. Crisis directors in eastern Kentucky tell me that Rx drug abuse is at epidemic proportions in their part of the state. I'm sure many of you also remember that our area has had a handful of doctors and clinics indicted/convicted of running pill shops.